Language Shaming and Speaking Anxiety among Indonesian Secondary EFL Students

This study examined the association between language shaming and speaking anxiety among secondary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at SMP Negeri 8 Makassar. A quantitative ex post facto correlational design was used. The population comprised 360 eighth-grade students, and the reported sample consisted of 35 students from two classes selected through cluster random sampling. Data were collected using a 15-item language shaming questionnaire and a 20-item speaking anxiety questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression. Language shaming was positively associated with speaking anxiety (r = .719, p < .001). The fitted model accounted for 51.7% of the sample variance in anxiety (R² = .517; adjusted R² = .502), F(1, 33) = 35.312, p < .001. The slope was 0.558 (SE = 0.094, p < .001; approximate 95% CI [0.367, 0.749]). Students with higher shaming scores therefore tended to report higher anxiety scores. The small sample, classroom clustering, and self-report design limit generalization and preclude causal inference. The findings suggest the relevance of respectful feedback and supportive classroom interaction, although these practices were not tested as interventions.